India, US Deepen Global Strategic Partnership as EAM Jaishankar Meets Marco Rubio

India and the United States kicked off high-level delegation talks on Sunday, reinforcing what both nations described as a "Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership" aimed at shaping global affairs well beyond their respective regions.

The meeting, led by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is on his first official visit to India, underscored a deep convergence of interests amid a challenging global geopolitical landscape.

Welcoming Secretary Rubio to the capital, Jaishankar emphasised that the bilateral relationship has evolved into a powerhouse of international cooperation.

He noted that despite turbulent times globally, the shared interests between New Delhi and Washington ensure a bedrock of open, productive discussion.

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Echoing these sentiments, Rubio described his initial experience in India as "fantastic" and distinguished standard international alignments and the Washington-New Delhi bond.

"The United States and India aren't just allies; we're strategic allies, and that's of critical importance," Rubio said. He noted that the partnership uniquely "extends to opportunities to cooperate globally in different regions of the world," explicitly hinting at potential future collaboration in the Western Hemisphere.

Rubio added that as the two largest democracies in the world, the shared governance model provides a natural "baseline" for "incredible cooperation."

Present at the delegation-level talks were the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, among others.

"It has already been a fantastic first day. We're looking forward to our visits and our talks today and learning more about the country... As you've highlighted, the United States and India aren't just allies; we're strategic allies, and that's of critical importance,” Rubio said.

“We obviously work with countries all over the world and all over the region on a variety of issues as they emerge, but our strategic partnership is what sets this relationship apart, because it's not simply limited to a region,” he added.

“It extends to opportunities to cooperate globally in different regions of the world, and that includes potentially in the Western Hemisphere and places like that," he said.

He further said that there is a "lot to work on", describing India and the US as the two "largest democracies in the world", and he said that alone is a "baseline" for "incredible cooperation".

(With inputs from ANI)